But they did seem horrified that while remaining legal, abortion would become much more rare in Virginia, precisely because clinic safety standards, intended to protect women in the post-Gosnell era, would actually be respected in a Cuccinelli administration.

An unnamed McAuliffe aide is quoted by the Post as saying that Terry McAuliffe could move unilaterally to protect existing abortion clinics. He could do so by instructing the health commissioner to grant waivers to individual clinics or, possibly, by urging that existing clinics be exempted from the regulations.

Of course, if McAuliffe were to follow the lead of his friend, Hilary Clinton, he might want abortion to be safe, legal, and never. Clinton noted in a 2005 speech on the subject:

“This decision, which is one of the most fundamental, difficult, and soul-searching decisions a woman and a family can make, is also one in which the government should have no role. I believe we can all recognize that abortion in many ways represents a sad, even tragic choice to many women. Often, it’s a failure of our system of education, and preventive services. It’s often a result of family dynamics. …There is no reason why government cannot do more to educate and inform and provide assistance so that the choice guaranteed under our constitution either does not ever have to be exercised or only in very rare circumstances.”

When it comes right down to it, safe, legal and rare actually isn’t all that profitable. Maybe that’s why the abortion industry is so committed to electing Terry McAuliffe.

UPDATE (9/19/13):
McAuliffe himself said: “I can give a guidance opinion to the Board of Health to grandfather in those remaining clinics to keep them open. That’s why this election is so important, and I will do that.” (quoted in the Washington Times)

Only problem is, there is no such thing as a “guidance opinion” in Virginia state law. Perhaps McAuliffe should recall that he is running for office in Virginia. The office of governor in the Commonwealth of Virginia is Constitutionally designed to be fairly weak. If McAullife wants his word to be law, maybe he should run somewhere else.